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Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/knotty pine kitchen cabinets

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Expert: - 5/30/2009


Question
Greg, thanks for your time.  Our kitchen has 50 year knotty pine cabinets and walls. While wood is beautiful, it is dark in the kitchen and as we age, it is becoming much harder to see and enjoy. Should we finally break down and paint or is there a way to lighten the aged wood.  thanks again,
mary ann & marty

Answer
Hi Mary Ann, there's no way to lighten the cabinets easily....it would mean stripping the old finish and bleaching or at least sanding and refinishing after stripping, which really isn't practical. You could clean, prime, and paint them, but that also is a huge job, and it's imperative to properly prep them, cleaning them of all grease,oils, dirt, grime, etc., and 50 years means a lot of cleaning.......wish I had an easier answer- Greg

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Greg Scholl

Expertise

Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects, Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings, wood species recognition and usage,tool recommendations, blade types and recommendation,techniques and methods for many Woodworking related issues, etc.

Experience

Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.) Sold, built, serviced, setup Home, Industrial, and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools , provided knowledge, parts replacement, service, and on site service, Trade show Demo, and training as well.

Publications
Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how")

Education/Credentials
Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field. Seminars from major Tool manufacturers, Skil/Bosch, Delta, Powermatic, Ritter, Porter cable, Milwaukee, Dewalt/B&Decker, Performax.

Past/Present Clients
Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT. (the Antiques capital of CT.), Golden Age of Trucking Museum, Wilton Historical Society.

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